You've got hundreds of good reasons to hook up a computer to your stereo system: all those MP3s, the tunes on vinyl that you cleaned up and digitized, and the organizing power of Windows Media Player or MusicMatch. I've written before about some of the exciting new PC form factors that tame yowling fan noise or at least fit on a shelf with your consumer electronics gear. This time, let's talk about a boring old device that might do the job for you as well as anything elseyour laptop computer.

The notebook has a lot going for it: small size, unobtrusive styling, minimal heat and power consumption, and even a built-in uninterruptible power supply. On the downside, you probably don't want to dedicate a new, functional laptop merely to managing your music. But any machine that you're willing to retire from daily use may come up short in processing power and storage capacity. You actually don't need a lot of processing power to get the job done. A 300-MHz or faster Pentium-class machine with MMX instructions is sufficient. And if you clear all the other junk off the hard drive, you'll probably have room for hundreds of songs. You also want to have 128MB of RAM and Windows 2000 or XP for smooth playback.

The question remains, however, whether the audio quality is good enough; laptops are not known for their high-end audio chips. Fortunately, the aftermarket vendors have been busy. I've been testing two devices, the M-Audio Sonica (www.midiman.com) and Xitel HiFi-Link (www.xitel.com), that claim to give you better sound.

Both devices plug into your USB port. Drivers redirect your audio out through the USB port, and the devices' digital-to-analog converter (DAC) chips turn the bits into music. The claim is that they use better DACs and that by being outboard, they're free of the digital hash and RF that make audio quality challenging inside the computer.

I tested the Sonica and HiFi-Link against the audio of two laptops, my Toshiba Portégé 3480 and an IBM ThinkPad T21. I generated test tones and sample files with Cool Edit 2000, a powerful, flexible, inexpensive audio editor from Syntrillium Software Corp. (www.syntrillium.com). I also listened critically to a wide range of program material from CDs and WAV files. I avoided MP3s to exclude compression artifacts.

Both laptops sounded pretty good. But when I analyzed the test tones, I found that they had dramatic differences. The Toshiba overemphasized the bass and rolled off severely in the treble range. The noise floor was rather high, at -45 dB. The IBM was quieter, at -57 dB, and was far flatter, rolling off a bit at the high end. The outboard audio converters were similarly flat, although the Xitel HiFi-Link showed some weakness in the low bass that, frankly, was inaudible. Both converters were quiet, below -60 dB.

In ease of use, the Xitel HiFi-Link wins hands down. You plug it into a USB port, period. It uses standard USB audio device drivers, so you don't even need a disc. The unit also comes with a high-quality, 30-foot stereo cable to bridge the gap from your computer to your receiver.

The M-Audio Sonica requires drivers; you'll want the new ones from M-Audio's Web site. Annoyingly, the device identifies itself as "unknown" when you first plug it in. That's some programmer's laziness showing. It properly identifies itself after you load the drivers, though. The Sonica control panel includes bass enhancement, dialog enhancement, and various surround modes, courtesy of SRS Tru- Surround. The Sonica also has an optical port, so you can skip the analog connection entirely. That's a nice feature if your receiver has optical inputs.

The Sonica worked well on the Toshiba laptop, but I never got it completely free of audible glitches on the ThinkPad. The ThinkPad doesn't need an outboard converter. Its audio quality is not discernibly different from that of the converter, and more than good enough to play your MP3 collection through your stereo or high-quality earphones.

How do you know whether you need an outboard audio converter? Trust your ears. Compare audio quality with your stereo's CD player. If your music sounds like mud instead of hi-fi, one of these babies could be the cure. You can find more details and see my frequency response tests and other technical info at www.extremetech.com/htpc. And for a roundup of products that help you transform your analog audio to digital, see After Hours in this issue.

About the Author

Bill Machrone is vice president of technology at Ziff Davis Publishing and editorial director of the Interactive Media and Development Group. He joined Ziff Davis in May 1983 as technical editor of PC Magazine, became editor-in-chief in September of that year, and held that position for the next eight years, while adding the titles of publisher and... See Full Bio

Get Our Best Stories!

This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.